The city board overseeing services for the disabled wants funding for better accessibility at City Hall, improved street crossings and more employment opportunities included in the next city budget. Last week the Mayor’s Committee for People With Disabilities moved forward with drafting budget request language for six priorities for the upcoming budget talks, with unaddressed […]
Budget
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Library Commission discusses proposed FY21 budget
In a virtual meeting convened April 27 to discuss its proposed Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget, the Library Commission recommended a 3.2 percent (or $1.7 million) increase over Fiscal Year 2019-20, including an increase to the materials budget by 3.6 percent (or $168,653). “We are in a state of flux with our budget, and there are […]
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County freezes hiring for remainder of the fiscal year
In search of steadier financial footing amid the economic turmoil triggered by Covid-19, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to authorize staff to pursue an immediate hiring freeze for nonessential personnel. Commissioners will permit county staff to return on April 28 with a list of exceptions to the hiring freeze for approval. The hiring […]
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Forecasters size up city’s lost tax revenues from sales, hotels, alcohol due to Covid-19
Early analysis shows the city will lose $1 million per month in mixed beverage taxes while the local bar and restaurant industry is shut down, with a forthcoming economic model expected to give a picture of the loss in sales taxes. Because sales taxes make up the largest portion of the city’s General Fund, that […]
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City, county taxes could climb 8 percent under emergency declaration
A provision included in the Texas Legislature’s “property tax transparency” bill could offer jurisdictions across the state, including the city of Austin, the financial flexibility necessary to deal with some of the economic impacts of COVID-19. According to an update from the Texas Municipal League, when Gov. Greg Abbott declared a statewide disaster on March […]
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Public safety departments present preliminary budget requests
Budget season at the city has already begun for the 2021 fiscal year. In preparation for its deep dive into budget requests from the public safety departments, the Public Safety Commission listened to preliminary budget forecasts at its March 2 meeting. Even with the looming budget caps imposed by the state Legislature, which limit the […]
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TCAD appraisal decision draws Realtors’ ire
On Wednesday, Marya Crigler, chief appraiser for the Travis Central Appraisal District, told representatives of nine local school districts that TCAD would not be reappraising most residential properties this year. That means the school districts, as well as Travis County, Austin and other cities in the county, will not be getting updated information about residential […]
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Travis County confronts tricky process in reforming pay for law enforcement
Travis County leaders are determined to reform the pay scale for the county’s 1,450 public safety employees, but they’re not quite sure how to do it. The county has long had separate pay scales for civilian employees and law enforcement workers, including sheriff’s deputies, park rangers, corrections officers and constable officers. Those on the Travis […]
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Report gives Council options for equity in funding for chambers of commerce
An analysis of city funding of four minority-based chambers of commerce has offered recommendations for City Council and staff on how to adjust those annual contributions in the coming years to make them more equitable. A report released last week by Economic Development Department Director Veronica Briseño includes the full study and findings from the […]
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County commissioners approve Central Health budget
Shortly after approving the county budget, the Travis County Commissioners Court OK’ed the $291 million fiscal year budget for Central Health, the county’s public hospital district. Central Health is a public authority funded by local property taxes that is charged with providing health care to low-income people. The budget increases spending by 12.4 percent over […]
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Travis County Commissioners Court approves $1.2 billion budget
The Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a $1.2 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2019-20 and a corresponding tax increase. The average Travis County homeowner will pay $126 more in county taxes this year as a result of the budget. The hike amounts to “less than one takeout pizza a month,” according […]
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Capital Metro board approves 2020 budget
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority may still be playing catch-up with some basic comforts like benches, shelters and waste bins at bus stops, but the agency promises to accelerate those smaller efforts while preparing for a high-capacity transit future in the upcoming fiscal cycle. The Capital Metro Board of Directors unanimously approved the Fiscal Year […]